If you happen to have any baller friends who recently picked up a new Ferrari 458 Italia then this would be a nice “congrats on spending a ton of money during a recession you jackass” gift. It is a limited edition 458 Italia themed gift box. It comes with a set of Ferrari sunglasses and a die-cast 1:43 scale model of the 458. There will only be 142 of these gift boxes available and the price is about $392 so you’d better be a baller yourself if you plan to get this as a gift for someone else. I don’t have a 458 Italia myself but uh..I’d like one of these gift boxes…just sayin’..
Today rumors became official news when it was formally announced that seven time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher has signed a one-year deal with Mercedes GP (formerly Brawn GP) for the 2010 season along side fellow German driver Nico Rosberg. This comes hot on the heels of the announcement that Petronas snubbed the new Lotus team to become the title sponsor of Mercedes GP. It looks like they knew something we didn’t! It looks like the debate of how the young guns would fare against the legendary Schumacher and vice versa will finally be settled in the new year. Check out Mike’s BBC interview and the official team press release below.
Press Release:
The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team can confirm today that seven-times Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher will make his racing return in 2010 with the Silver Arrows team.
With seven Drivers’ World Championships, 248 Grand Prix starts, 91 victories, 154 podium finishes and 68 pole positions, the 40-year old German needs no introduction following an illustrious and record-breaking Formula One career from 1991 to 2006 at the Jordan, Benetton and Ferrari teams.
Michael’s return to racing with MERCEDES GP PETRONAS sees his return to Mercedes-Benz Motorsport where he began his racing apprenticeship as part of the Junior Programme in 1990, racing in Group C sports cars and DTM, and sees Michael renew his partnership with Ross Brawn with whom he won all seven of his World Championships.
Today’s announcement confirms the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver line-up for the 2010 season with Michael partnering his compatriot, 24 year old Nico Rosberg, in the Silver Arrows cars.
Michael Schumacher: “MERCEDES GP PETRONAS represents a new challenge for me both in a sporting and a personal context. It is a new chapter in my racing career and I am really looking forward to working with my old friend Ross Brawn and my companions from my days with the Mercedes Junior Programme. I am convinced that together we will be involved in the fight for the Formula 1 World Championship next year and I am already looking forward to getting back onto the race track. For me, this partnership closes the circle. Mercedes supported me for so many years when I began my Formula 1 career and now I can hopefully give something back to the brand with the star.”
Nico Rosberg: “It is fantastic that Michael is returning to Formula One and will be my team-mate at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS. It’s a great challenge for me to be up against one of the best drivers of all time. I’m sure that we will form a very strong partnership as he will have lost none of his speed! It is also great news for our sport and the fans.”
Ross Brawn, Team Principal of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: “I am delighted that we can confirm today that Michael will make his much-anticipated return to Formula One next year and drive for our MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team. As seven-time World Champion, Michael’s outstanding record in Formula One speaks for itself and I am looking forward to working with him again. With the completion of our driver line-up, I believe that we now have the most exciting partnership in Formula One with Michael and Nico, who provide the perfect mix of talent, experience, speed and youth. We can now turn our full attention to the preparations for the new season and everyone at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS is extremely excited about the challenge ahead. With the investment and support in our team provided by Daimler, Aabar and our new title partner Petronas, and with two such exciting drivers, we have all of the building blocks in place to have another successful season in 2010.”
Norbert Haug, Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsports: “In April 1991, when I had been in charge of the Mercedes-Benz Motorsport programme for just six months, Michael was standing beside me on the balcony one evening. Without the slightest doubt, he said in a low voice: “It’s about time that I got into Formula 1″. Michael had just turned 22 years of age and four months later, he made his debut at Spa in a Jordan. Mercedes-Benz helped him to this point and the rest is history: seven World Championship titles, more than any racing driver, 91 Grand Prix wins, more than any racing driver. Michael has more of everything than every other driver. As part of the Mercedes Junior Programme, Michael had raced in Group C sports cars and competed in a few DTM races. Ross Brawn, then our opponent at Jaguar, quickly realised Michael’s talent and they went on to win all seven of his Drivers’ World Championship titles together at Benetton and Ferrari. Our sporting ambition has always been that Michael should drive again where his professional career had started and Michael knew that. We often joked about it after the races and discussed the prospect seriously several times during the last 14 years in Formula 1. It didn’t happen in 1995, it didn’t happen in 1998 and it didn’t happen in 2005. I am delighted that it will now happen in 2010. I am very much looking forward to working with Michael and everybody at Mercedes-Benz and Daimler extends a very warm welcome to our ‘apprentice’ of 19 years ago. That apprentice is now the most successful racing driver of all time.”
With Ferrari already making it up to 458 with the new Italia, there may be some 360 Modena owners out there looking to freshen up their look. Just in time for the new year Premier 4509 has announced a new body kit for the 360 that adds some more aggression to the stock lines. There is also a bit of carbon fiber here and there which finishes up the kit nicely. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was in the $10k range.
You gotta love Hamann. They’re never boring! Sometimes they come out with something that not even a mother could love and then they’ll turn around and create something absolutely fresh. Their treatment of the Ferrari Californiais an example of the fresher side of the Hamann spectrum. OK, sure we may have a thing for the white and black color scheme here at MWH but still! I think this treatment would look pretty sweet in any color…except maybe neon pink or something..
Check it out, Michael Schumacher borrows Simon Cowell’s shirt, steals a warewolf hunter’s necklace and then goes over all the talking points of the new Ferrari Italia 458.
It seems like most racing series these days are facing their wild ups and downs, even drifting. Formula One hasn’t been any difference. There was a major injury, a team suspension, an announcement of another team withdrawing from the sport, a living legend’s return, and that same living legend canceling that return. And all of that happened just between one race and the next! So after all of that Formula One finally reached Valencia, Spain we saw a familiar sight on the podium in the form of Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello in the number one spot.
Now this is the first win for Rubens in five years and his first win with Brawn GP but this is far from Brawn’s first win all season. However this victory may not have happened if it weren’t for a mishap with McLaren Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton had the pole position for this race and the lead for most of it. It was his race to lose, and lose he did! He came in for a pit stop that quickly went south which allowed Rubens to inherit the lead and that was all she wrote. Lewis holds no grudge against his team though. After all the success they’ve given him he can handle a mistake here and there.
This victory lands Rubens in the second place points position just behind his team mate Jenson Button, who has been struggling lately. Could this be Rubens’ year? Has he finally gotten the car that he needs to show everyone what he is really capable of? Stay tuned!
As usual the SPEED TV trio has some insights to share and some sharp critisim for Ferrari. Check it out below.
I didn’t notice this the first time I checked out the micro site for the new Ferrari 458 Italia but Autoblog pointed out that in the download section you can get yourself a ring tone of the Italia’s 500+ HP V8 in various stages including: “Overtake”, “Acceleration”, “Off The Mark”, and “On Board”. To complete the look, make sure to download a wallpaper. This won’t really impress the ladies but hey for a lot of us this is the closest to ever owning a Ferrari that we’ll ever get!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The Maserati Granturismo S in black is totally Bruce Wayne’s car. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a cape and cowl in the trunk when you pick one of these up from the dealership. I have been completely enamoured with this car ever since I first saw it and for good reason. What’s not to love here? It has beautiful lines, exotic Italian super car heritage, and a Ferrari derived 440HP V8 under the hood. A car such as this would be just at home on a canyon road as it would be on Rodeo drive. Its aggressive, luxurious, and slightly evil all at the same time. We would totally rock this car…if we had the money..
Well the rumors and spy shots have been floating around for almost 6 months now and today Ferrari finally officially confirmed their next V8 coupe the 458 Italia. Say hello to the successor to the Ferrari F430. The first thing I notice about the new 458 is its styling. There is virtually no design DNA carried over from the 430 or the 360. The front just barely reminds me of the special one-off Ferrari P4/5 and towards the back you may catch a hint of the Ferrari California in the rear fender arches.
Under all the body panels is a brand new chassis design which again is all aluminum and according to Ferrari has torsional rigidity that is 12% higher than the F430. Towards the back is Ferrari’s new 4499cc V8 that makes somewhere in the neighborhood of 500HP @ 9000RPM. Yes…that’s 9000RPM! You also get massive carbon ceramic brakes at each corner and other cool stuff like the third version of Ferrari’s active E-Differential.
All in all there is just too much cool stuff for me to talk about in this simple blog entry so I highly suggest you click over to the Ferrari 458 Italia’s official microsite to get all the information you can handle. In the meantime check out the wallpaper sized pics below and press release!
Press Release:
ITALIA - Ferrari’s innovative new V8
The 458 Italia is the latest incarnation of the mid-rear engined berlinetta and will be unveiled at the next Frankfurt Motor Show
Maranello, July 28th 2009 - While it’s true that every Ferrari is innovative by definition, it’s equally true that in the course of the Prancing Horse’s history, certain cars have marked a genuine departure from the current range. This is very much the case with the Ferrari 458 Italia, which is a massive leap forward from the company’s previous mid-rear engined sports cars.
The new model is a synthesis of style, creative flair, passion and cutting-edge technology, characteristics for which Italy as a nation is well-known. For this reason Ferrari chose to add the name of its homeland to the traditional figure representing the displacement and number of cylinders.
The Ferrari 458 Italia is a completely new car from every point of view: engine, design, aerodynamics, handling, instrumentation and ergonomics, just to name a few.
A two-seater berlinetta, the Ferrari 458 Italia, as is now traditional for all Ferrari’s road-going cars, benefits hugely from the company’s Formula 1 experience. This is particularly evident in the speed and precision with which the car responds to driver inputs and in the attention focused on reducing internal friction in the engine for lower fuel consumption than the F430, despite the fact that both overall displacement and power have increased. However, Ferrari’s track experience makes its presence felt in the 458 Italia not only in terms of pure technological transfer but also on a more emotional level, because of the strong emphasis on creating an almost symbiotic relationship between driver and car. The 458 Italia features an innovative driving environment with a new kind of steering wheel and dashboard that is the direct result of racing practice. Once again input from Michael Schumacher - who was involved from the very start of the 458 Italia project - played an invaluable part.
The Ferrari 458 Italia’s Pininfarina design provides further evidence of the complete departure from the past that this new car hails. The Ferrari 458 Italia has a compact, aerodynamic shape, underscoring the concepts of simplicity, efficiency and lightness that inspired the project. As with every Ferrari, the car’s styling has been very heavily influenced by the requirements for aerodynamic efficiency, as can be seen from the downforce of 140 kg at 200km/h generated by the new model. The front features a single opening for the front grille and side air intakes, with aerodynamic sections and profiles designed to direct air to the coolant radiators and the new flat underbody. The nose also sports small aeroelastic winglets which generate downforce and, as speed rises, deform to reduce the section of the radiator inlets and cut drag.
The new 4499 cc V8 is the first Ferrari direct injection engine to be mid-rear mounted. It has a very low piston compression height typical of racing engines which contributed to achieving its compression ratio of 12.5:1. Equipped with the traditional flat-plane crankshaft, the engine delivers 570 CV at 9000 rpm and, with an outstanding power output of 127 CV/litre, sets a new benchmark not only for the whole Ferrari range and the history of company, but also for the entire market segment. Maximum torque is 540 Nm at 6000 rpm, over 80 per cent of which is available from 3250 rpm. Specific torque is a record 120 Nm/litre. However, what is truly extraordinary is the amount of torque available while still maintaining high levels of power at low revs.
The car’s soundtrack is also typical Ferrari, with an exciting, powerful growl emerging from the engine before it channels through to the exhaust’s three rear tailpipes.
The 458 Italia is equipped with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission which increases performance whilst providing very smooth shifts even at full throttle. The engineers have developed specific, sportier gear ratios to match the power and torque curves of the new V8, guaranteeing high torque even at lower engine speeds and allowing the car to reach its maximum speed in top gear.
This new Ferrari is also a major leap forward when it comes to cutting emissions. Despite the fact that the new engine is significantly more powerful than the V8s that preceded it, the Ferrari 458 Italia produces just 320 g/km of CO2 and fuel consumption is 13.7 l/100 km (combined cycle), the best in the entire segment.
The engineers also focused on weight reduction during the design phase for similar reasons. Consequently, the Ferrari 458 Italia has a dry weight of 1380 kg with a power-to-weight ratio of 2.42 kg/CV. Weight distribution is also optimal with 58 per cent over the rear axle. The result of the engineers’ endeavours can be summed up in to two simple statistics which together perfectly encapsulate the Ferrari 458 Italia’s exceptional performance: 0-100 km/h acceleration in under 3.4 seconds and a maximum speed in excess of 325 km/h.
For the new chassis, once more in aluminium, Maranello’s engineers incorporated various types of advanced alloys along with aerospace industry-derived manufacturing and bonding techniques.
With regard to vehicle dynamics, the Ferrari 458 Italia’s suspension features twin wishbones at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear tuned for maximum roadholding and superlative handling. Along with a more direct steering ratio, the 458 Italia thus offers extremely rapid turn-in and body control whilst maintaining superior ride comfort.
The integration of the E-Diff and F1-Trac (now controlled by the same ECU) and their respective mappings is even greater, resulting in a 32 per cent increase in longitudinal acceleration out of corners compared to previous models. The evolution of the control logic, with even faster and more accurate calculation of levels of grip, ensures even greater roadholding, better handling and ease of control on the limit.
The same ECU also governs the high-performance ABS, providing even more precise control over the logic threshold and greater efficiency. The brakes also feature a prefill function whereby the pistons in the callipers move the pads into contact with the discs on lift off to minimise delay in the brakes being applied. This combined with the ABS has cut the 100-0 km/h braking distance to a mere 32.5 metres.
The Ferrari 458 Italia’s interior is another area of the car that exalts its sporty personality. The driver is welcomed by a new layout and a revolutionary ergonomic interface where the main controls are all clustered on the steering wheel.
With the Ferrari 458 Italia, Maranello has brought a highly distinctive new car to its 8-cylinder range. The company now offers two models that share a common, race-derived DNA, both exceptionally sporty and fun to drive in true Ferrari tradition, but aimed at two very different kinds of client. While the Ferrari California was created for owners requiring a more versatile sports car with a practical edge, the 458 Italia is designed for owners for whom the priority is uncompromising on-road performance with occasional track day capability, but who still demand a car that is useable in day-to-day driving like all Ferrari’s recent models.
Ferrari 458 Italia - Technical specifications
The previous weekend was one of ups and downs for Formula 1. Things started off very badly on Saturday when Felipe Massa was knocked unconscious in what some could only describe as a “bizarre” accident. Felipe was rushed to a local hospital and put into a medically induced coma from which he has since awoken and is responsive. However some are reporting that due to sever damage to nerves in his left eye his racing career may be over. Hopefully that won’t be the case. Although if Felipe is unable recover before the next race (Valencia GP) Bernie Ecclestone is hoping that Ferrari may ask Fernando Alonso to take over driving duties. How is this possible? Well the entire Renault team (except drivers) are banned from the next race due to a saftey infraction.
So now for some good news. It looks like Lewis Hamilton is back to old form as he had a dominant performance all weekend and eventually charged his way to his first win of the 2009 season while the current leader Jenson Button and the Brawn GP team suffered a sudden and harsh downturn in performance, only able to muster a 7th place finish for the weekend. Has Brawn GP hit their limit? Can McLaren and Lewis Hamilton turn the season around and become a contender again? Stay tuned! Same F1 time, same F1 channel! I’m so cheesy sometimes…anyway.. Check out the video below for the SPEED discussion on the results.
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